This was our 3rd year at the Avenida and what a change. The first year Thomson Holidays were not the only holiday company in the hotel. But last year they were given the whole hotel. It's meant to be a Superfamily hotel. But how does it feel for an older couple no children to arrive at the hotel and find it over run with kids. Also allowing teenagers to go to the hotel and wake up their corridors at 5am when they stagger in from the clubs.

The hotel is a lovely hotel which is very clean. The reception staff are there at all times and are very helpful for local advice such as shopping, phoning taxi's for you and telling you easy ways to get places as well as dealing with any problems in your apartment, selling you stamps, dealing with towel hire and also your safe keys. You could not ask for better reception staff.

The restaurant has the lovely Ana and her staff to serve you. The food is buffet style. They often have theme nights where you get authentic food which personally I think is better than the usual food as it's a bit too British for my liking. The breakfasts, is full English, continental, cereals and fruit and yoghurts. Evening meals cannot be complete without sampling the Avenida chef's variety of puddings. Take adjustable waistbands as the puddings are to die for. The children have their own buffet at their level but parental support is needed. There's not many cooked vegetables and what there are isn't off great quality but their salad bar is plentiful and very tasty. We could only get self catering this year but bought our half board for 288? which was cheaper than Thomson Holidays charged for us all if we had bought in the travel agents.

The apartments are lovely. This was our first year having a pool view and we regretted it. It's too noisy during the day and noisy until late at night by thoughtless loud guests. The roadside with rooms numbered 21-25 seems to be the best place to be. The rooms were cleaned every day and we had clean towels every day too. There are small washing lines on each balcony but towels are not to be hung over the railings of the balcony. There is a fridge and Microwave and hob. We used the fridge the most.

The pool is a great pool. The sunbed rush is ridiculous still. We went down for breakfast one morning at 8.30am and found a huge queue waiting. One morning I stood on our balcony and watched it killing myself laughing at the people running to ensure they got their spot! Thomson Holidays do remove the towels if they beds are left unattended.

The entertainment was dire. The previous 2 years we were spoiled by fantastic entertainment of a Thomson Holidays Disco, then bingo, then a Thomson Holidays spot then a mini disco with some great dances followed by a fabulous show which the hotel organised. This year we had a kids disco, then Thomson Holidays reps attempting to do some load of rubbish. We had bingo a few nights and a couple of shows. We spent most of our time out on the terrace with the kids playing happily with us. I also got fed up of hearing that one of the entertainers was one of Thomson Holidays 's 6 top entertainers. This was rammed down our throats all the time. IN otherwords she is number 6 as there are 5 far better entertainers above her. Every activity took forever to get started as she wouldn't stop talking about herself and got rather tedious. Also the 4.30pm activity was a quiz every day. There's only so many quizzes you can handle when they are doing every day and most nights. The nights we went out we much preferred the park or other bars where the children were welcome. But usually the hotel was packed but this year the bar was very quiet and maybe Thomson Holidays need to reconsider working with golden hotels entertainers again as Israel, Alison and Gemma gave us a fantastic time last year and no one will really ever live up to them again.

The Kids Club Reps were fantastic as usual and a great big hug and thanks go to Chris and his team for taking care of our children to the highest of expectations. The presigning which I had read about before we went stopped the day we arrived. But the usual fantastic standard was offered in the clubs and that was one part which the children really enjoyed.

We would probably return to this hotel when Golden operate it privately during the winter months and not when Thomson Holidays are there!

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Hotel Avenida Park - Salou

Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays Direct) Thomson Holidays - June 2006